[Hepatitis A virus infection in children in Argentina: a pilot study].
The severity and/or the prognostic of infections with the hepatitis A virus (HAV) is related to the age at which the infection occurs. Since transmission of the virus occurs by the fecal-oral route, the prevalence and age-relate incidence of infection is determined by the adequacy of sanitation hygienic measures and the socio economic level of exposed populations. Thus, the disease is having an increasing impact in developing countries with improving sanitary standards whereas inhabitants of industrialized countries are particularly at risk while visiting under-developed countries. We have established a cooperative group for the serologic study of children range between six months to ten years old, without sintomatology of acute hepatitis. The patients live in Buenos Aires, San Justo, Trelew, Rosario and Tucumán cities. We studied 3699 children. The specific Ab-antiHAV IgG were measured by enzyme immunoassay with commercial available kits (Organon and-or Abbott). The variable of study were age, sex and water quality.


RESULTS
45.19% were of San Justo, 26.15% of Rosario, 13% of Buenos Aires, 8.37% of Trelew and 7.29% of Tucumán. We observed the highest of possibility percentage (%POS) in Tucumán (81.4%), followed by San Justo (57.8%), Rosario (46.5%), Trelew (41.99%) and Buenos Aires (29.4%). In all the cities the lowest %POS was found in children under three years old. Between three and six years old the results were variable and an increase in %POS was observed related to the growth. The global %POS was 51.56%.


CONCLUSIONS
This study confirms Argentina as a high endemic country for HAV infection. A global vaccination program is the only strategy that has the potential to prevent recurrent epidemics of hepatitis A and its erradication.
Gonzalez
J
J
Instituto Nacional de Microbiología Dr. C. Malbrán, Dpto. de Virología, Buenos Aires.
Fay
O
O
Canero-Velasco
M C
MC
Fernandez
E
E
Carchio
E
E
Moreiro
R
R
Weller
C
C
Taborda
M
M
Mutti
J
J
Degaetano
S
S
Flores
I
I
Auvieux
C
C
Cavo
M
M
Sosa
A
A
Nucifora
S
S
Marchesini
N
N
Castro
R
R
Cisaruk
E
E
D000367:Age Factors; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D015981:Epidemiologic Factors; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines; D014881:Water Supply
D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines
Infección por virus de hepatitis A (HAV) en niños en Argentina. Ensáyo piloto.